EXACTLY twenty years ago, to the day, history was written in the heat and dust of Madras (now Chennai). India and Australia slugged it out till the last ball resulting in a tie, the second such instance in the history of the game. For four days of the match, India were at the receiving end. Australia rubbed it further by setting a steep 347 for victory on the last day. Now India were with a chance to get even. After the early loss of Krishnamachari Srikkanth (39 off 49 balls), the seasoned campaigners Sunil Gavaskar (90: 168b, 12x4, 1x6) and Mohinder Amarnath (51: 113b, 8x4) laid the foundations with a 103 alliance for the second wicket. Though Amarnath departed before tea, India needed another 155 in 30 overs with eight wickets standing in the last session. With India losing wickets at regular intervals, yet staying in the hunt a thrilling finish was in store. From a healthy 251 for three, they crumbled to 334-8 with Ravi Shastri left to rally with the tail. Shivlal Yadav eased the tension in the dressing room by smashing a six to reduce the margin to eight runs. But he got out to the next delivery and suddenly India were looking down the barrel. With time too running away, all four possibilities loomed in the humid air. Eventually, the most exciting result: the tie. In the last over of the match, Shastri preferred to steal a single and equal the scores. He handed over the strike to last man Maninder Singh, one of the biggest bunnies. We all know what happened after that. Greg Matthews hit him on the pads and umpire Vikram Raju raised the finger to pronounce him out. As Maninder and Shastri returned gloomily, the Australians danced around like they had won the Test. Australia won the toss and elected to bat. David Boon set the tone with a powerful century and Border too joined the run-feast by slamming a hundred. But it was Dean Jones’ 210 that stole the show. Battling dehydration, vomitting on the pitch he went on and on until he had no energy left. Australia went on to make 574 for seven before declaring. The Indians batsmen failed to match the rivals and staring at a follow-on on the third day (270-7). But the next day, Kapil Dev cracked 119 off just 138 deliveries to give the Indian total (397) a healthy look. Australia then quickly made 170 for five in 49 overs and set up an interesting target for India on the concluding day. 347 in about 90 overs. Interestingly, a few years later the Professional Management Group recreated that atmosphere involving all the players of that historic Test in Chennai. Everybody except Kapil and Steve Waugh (who had to play a Test match the next day) came over to play the One-day game. Australia won this one by seven wickets with David Boon again scoring a ton and Matthews picking up four wickets. ‘I still maintain I got an inside edge’ Maninder Singh Twenty years on, I still maintain I got an inside edge to the ball from spinner Greg Matthews that fateful day in Madras (now Chennai). There were some pictures clicked right after that dismissal in which I am raising my arm and protesting at the umpire. I was only pointing out that I had got bat to ball. Media reports later suggested there had been bad blood between the teams throug the five days but that’s not true. It was just a very tough contest, and sometimes it showed. I ran 40 yards to talk to Dean Jones after dismissing him in the second innings and the media picked that up, but these things happen. People have asked me over the years what my seniors and captain Kapil Dev said to me later but there were no angry words exchanged. No one blamed me and 20 years down the line, I’ve forgotten it. The second tied Test is history. It was a good match we could have lost, but nearly won. ( As told to Partha Bhaduri) TOTAL RECALL Maninder was not out. A tie was an option thought of only because the danger of losing was there in trying for a win in that last over of Greg Matthews —RAVI SHASTRI We feel shortchanged when people talk about Tied Test II. What gets played up perennially is the sickness of Dean Jones. The match drained us very much in terms of physical energy —ALLAN BORDER Kapil had given the team a dressing down when we were in danger of following on. He had asked us why some of us had hit the ball in the air. But the next day when he resumed batting Kapil lofted three fours off Matthews. In the pavilion we looked at each other —SUNIL GAVASKAR I just can’t believe that 20 years have gone by since we played that match. My feeling then and even now is that we should have won —MOHD AZHARUDDIN I was dehydrated and ended up in the hospital on the first day. And on the third evening, I found Dean Jones on the bed next to me after an outstanding knock —KIRAN MORE TIETANIC BATTLE ENDS: Maninder Singh (centre) protests the decision given by umpire Vikram Raju as the Aussies celebrate